It is often said that the end justifies the means; that an action in itself determines good or bad. The reality is, however, people can do some very good things for very selfish, even evil reasons. We give money to the guy on the corner because it is easy, doesn’t really cost much, relieves our guilt, and makes us look like a swell guy. What would our actions look like if we really cared about that person and their future? If we loved them?
When we approach faith in Christ like fire insurance – being good in order to avoid bad – then faithfulness becomes a duty and an obligation. We will give a tithe, perhaps more; serve with our every spare moment, we’ll be generous and nice, only to come to exhaustion. We will go through religious motions, dutifully and without any joy, with very little effect, and completely missing the point of the Christian life. “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
In his letter to the church in Jerusalem, James wrote that “faith without deeds is dead.” In other words, what we believe about God must affect our actions and attitudes or it is not saving faith. In the same way, the apostle Paul wrote the church in Corinth – who prided themselves on their deeds – that deeds, absent of love, are worthless. Unless we are filled by the love of God, we will not have what it takes to fulfill God’s call on our lives. Without a mutual, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father we will never be able to discern what that calling is…and is not. Without a love for God, we will never be able to persevere in our calling and see the power and presence of God in our lives.
The very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not religion, it is relationship. Foremost is our relationship with God himself. Jesus put it this way, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the first and greatest commandment.” God has already demonstrated his love for you. You must grow in your love for God. That can only be done as we intentionally take – even make – time to be with him; to read his Word, to pray and listen, to “be still and know that he is God.” Only when we nurture our relationship with our Father can we know him, hear him, and witness his power at work in, through, and around us.
Weekly Devotional: July 25, 2010
Words to Grow On
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
We are an instant society. We have drive-thru restaurants and four course microwave meals ready in minutes, but that is still just a little too long. We are a culture that loves our comforts and want instant gratification. Everything from information to relationships are available to us with a click of the mouse. It is no surprise that we typically wonder why God makes things so difficult. Why can’t he just get on board with our plan?
We like the idea of being filled, but the scripture says that we must hunger and thirst first. Biblical righteousness is best described as a right relationship with God. We access that through faith…only. Faith is best described as a combination of belief and trust. Trust must be earned and therefore, as we come to recognize our spiritual poverty, mourn our broken condition and humbly receive from God what we cannot manufacture or earn on our own, we begin to be filled and our desire – our hunger and our thirst – for God begins to grow.
Only in a right relationship with God will we find fulfillment. In Christ we find our value and our identity; as we follow him we discover our purpose and make an eternal difference of eternal value. This significance is what every person longs for and it is not something we can acquire quickly. As the Bible says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” In other words, we must come to understand faith, the gift of life, and how it all works – our place in God’s great story – as we walk with him. In other words still, we must “be filled.” We cannot be filled unless we really want it. We demonstrate that we want it as we “die to ourselves.”
We cannot become content with religion, knowledge, and habits. These can be controlled and manipulated to create a façade of righteousness. These can deceive us into thinking we have arrived and are in some way “good enough.” There is no arrival until we arrive at the foot of God’s judgment seat. Until then, we must continue striving – hungering and thirsting – for more of God. We must delight in him, and desire him. There is work to be done; not to earn salvation, but to realize the fullness thereof…to be filled.
Weekly Devotional: July 11, 2010
Words to Grow On
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
In the comfort of a season of blessing, “God uses all things for good,” seems a welcome word; a profound truth. When a season of trial comes, however, that same word seems trite – a crutch; maybe even a slap in the face. If God’s word is eternal and unchanging, then why is it that there are times we celebrate its truth, and other times we dread it? What changes is not the depth or truth of God’s word, but rather our perception, our attitude towards it, and our willingness to believe and live by it.
The Christian faith seems such a thing to be celebrated and received with joy when we feel alright. We are given free forgiveness and promised an eternal and abundant life. It is almost like God has made himself available to us like a great genie, or a divine vending machine; here to give us what we want and make our lives prosperous, safe, and comfortable. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.
As we go on to read the rest of the promise that “God uses all things for good,” we see that God has a different picture of good. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” God is less concerned with you happiness and much more concerned with you holiness. When he promises to use all things for good, what he means is that he will use anything he needs in order to put to death your old self and nurture the new self created in Christ Jesus. Since we are to be conformed to the likeness of Christ, and Christ rejected the world system, its trappings, its view of success and prosperity, it stands to reason that God would work to show us the futility of a life lived for what the world offers. This process of refinement can be painful as we are purged of the cancer of selfish ambition and evil desires.
When – not if, but when – the Christian life gets difficult and costly, those who came in expecting to gain eternal life and keep their worldly life respond with disappointment, discouragement, and even anger and resentment. They wilt in the heat of trial because, though the word sounded good up front, they didn’t really invest; it never took ownership. Their hearts were shallow soil and could bear no fruit. The Christian life is not a playground. It is a battlefield. Are you ready? “The kingdom of heaven is advancing forcefully, and forceful men lay hold of it.” “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Weekly Devotional: July 4, 2010
Words to Grow On
“I tell you the truth, unless a kernal of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
We are a culture of survivors. We will scratch and scrape, kick and claw, desperate to keep our heads above water. We deeply fear defeat and reject surrender as an acceptable option. We need to survive. Is this wrong? Yes. Because it is only when we die that we truly find freedom to truly live.
We were not created for survival. We were created for life - abundant and eternal life. In the world, playing by the world's rules and embracing the world's standards, we are constantly trying to keep up. We never thrive because we are constantly preparing ourselves for the next wave; the next goal; the next big thing. We become trapped in a never ending cycle of trying just to keep up. The world and its trappings come to own our time, talents, and treasure and we wind up with nothing to give God, or anyone else.
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." In other words, those who have recieved eernal and abundant life though faith in Jesus Christ have died to themselves - they have lain to rest the desires and passions of this world system and have embraced a higher standard that enabled them, not to merely survive, but truly live. As long as our devotion is divided between our selfish desires, the temporal things of this world, and the etermnal things of God, we will never hear his voice, experience his presence, or know the freedom of his salvation. Our hearts will be continually decieved and distracted by what is seen (and perishing) and all that God has given us and called us to will be compromised. "Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?"
In order to bear fruit - to make an eternal difference of eternal value - we must "lay down our lives;" trust God with our hopes, dreams, plans, desires, and priorities and be willing to let go or take up as he leads us. This requires a desire to hear God and a willingness to trust him and obey. We need to cut through the clutter of our busy, overburdened lives in order to put oursleves in position to hear God, for, "All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing." The world will consume us, unless we resolve to spend our time, talent, and treasure on and for the One who will fill us and free us - the One who is life everlasting.
Weekly Devotional: June 27, 2010
Words to Grow On
“Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When he treated them harshly, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?”
We can teach monkeys to use sign language, but some people just can’t grasp a simple truth. This does not stem from a lack of intelligence, but rather, a stubborn refusal to listen. There are some truths and realities we would rather not embrace. When we encounter these we tend to harden our heart.
When the Bible talks about someone hardening their heart, it means “to strengthen.” When God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in the Exodus account, we often think it unfair. God did not make Pharaoh something he was not. In the biblical language, God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart meant that he strengthened what was already there. Likewise, when you and I harden our hearts, we strengthen our resolve to have our own way.
The hardening of a heart is usually a bad thing. It is based on pride and selfish ambition. We strengthen our resolve to realize a certain outcome, see ourselves a certain way, or get what we want regardless of the cost. When, “like sheep we go astray; each of us going our own way,” God will use discipline, or even punishment, to get our attention and turn us around. When that happens we can either respond through confession and repentance, or we can harden our heart, reject his word of conviction, and continue in our own way.
If our heart is truly devoted to God – even just a little – we will eventually respond to God’s intervention. As in the above passage, even those whose hearts were wholly devoted to false gods eventually gave in to God’s discipline. For a professing child of God to neglect the correction and guidance of their Father is to demonstrate that they are not his at all.
No one likes to be corrected or convicted, yet if we are to grow and prosper and become, we must remain open to it. As we seek God we will naturally discover our own brokenness and sin. We need to be prepared to let God refine us and make us whole. That said, I encourage you to harden your heart…for God; strengthen your resolve to let him, as Lord, have his way in your life. Seek him, find him, and respond.
